20/20 Hindsight

 Well, we’ve had a better week. My sis is home on oxygen, slowly recovering from double pneumonia.  Fortunately, she has a helping husband and lots of friends.  In the middle of all that, our friend in Japan I mentioned last week is starting chemotherapy soon, and Tony and I are looking into the possibility of diverting our trip and popping over to see him. Son Nathan is recovering as well.  

So this last week found us in some interesting countries, including Finland, Estonia, Lithuania and Sweden. We were especially cheered up by visiting Nathan’s high school roommate from Japan who lives and works in Estonia.  He gave us a lovely tour of the town of Tallin, a beautiful place.   Each of the other cities offered their own different charm and interesting history.

But the one we found most ‘inspiring’ has prompted me to share this story with you from Sweden.

So, there was this guy in 1496. He was born a Viking, and he was a really tough guy.  If you google his name, Gustav Vasa, you can read a lot about him and his heritage.

His name came up related to an uprising in 1523 called the “Stockholm Bloodbath”. Both his father and his nephew were brutally executed, which obviously upset Gustav. It wasn’t long before he showed up in Stockholm full battle dress and leading an army. Not too surprisingly, he had his revenge, then announced that he was now the new king. In spite of the fact that he was very young, he gave it his best and in the end his dynasty was ranked as one of the strongest in Sweden’s history. 

About 100 years later, along came great-grandson Gustavis Vasa. He turned out to be a hugely successful military leader as well, often referred to as the father of the Swedish military

But wait. There must have been a pretty big ego behind all that bravado because in 1626, at the height of his career, he commissioned a warship to be built, one that would lead the country’s armada.  It was 69 metres long and accommodated over 400 soldiers.

The story told is that the king himself, envisioning such a fine warship, kept adding little accruements here and there to further add to the shock and awe of the ship, starting with an added deck brisling with canons. All around the top decks there were dozens of beautifully hand-carved sculptures and royal insignias.

The shipbuilders themselves began to see design problems right away, but were not in a position to advise the king. The ship was top heavy, had a narrow beam and lacked sufficient ballast, (a lot more wine than rocks), but there was no one prepared to point that out. 

 On August 10, 1628, the “Vasa” was launched with much fanfare. The crowds went wild, and even gasped when a sudden breeze caused it to list to starboard, but then cheered when it righted itself. 

And then 1300 metres down the slipway, 10 minutes into the sail, another breeze struck amidships and this time it kept rolling. The lower canon deck, its doors wide open to show off the heavy artillery, were immediately inundated with sea water, causing the ship to continue its roll. Within minutes, it disappeared beneath the waves and along with 50 crewmembers who were never seen again. 

… or at least for 333 years, when it was rediscovered and raised, intact, to the surface. The icy cold water had preserved 98% of everything, even the clothing and some remains of the crew. Now it sits in a museum in Stockholm. 

If the ship and the armada had been a success, we might be speaking Swedish today. But someone commented that if the ship had not sunk when and where it did, then it would certainly not be around today to admire.

As Tony would say, “There’s a sermon in that.”

I think the Bible says, it several places and ways, “Keep it simple and in line with truth.” How about for example:

“One who puts on his armour should not boast like one who takes it off” (1 Kings 20:11).

“All you need to say is a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Otherwise you will be condemned” (James 5:12).

Next Sunday we’ll be in Turkey!  Please stay tuned?

Love ya,

Marsha